Halloween and the sad hard drive

Happy Halloween!! After my wonderful 8am microbiology lab, I went to do a photo session for one of the families I baby-sit for. I love their kids, and I had a lot of fun with it. Unfortunately I didn't get to photograph them in their costumes, but they were still pretty cute in their fall outfits. Of course I will post a few on this blog.

Last night we went out with a group of people from MIT to celebrate one of their birthdays. We went to a brazilian BBQ place that we discovered was essentially several entrees of meat. Not really my kind of place, but we had a good time with all of them. They are an entertaining group of people and there is never a dull moment when we go out with them. 

After my photo session this afternoon, I immediately came home to upload them onto my computer and suddenly an alarming message came up.  My hard drive was full and it wouldn't allow me to upload anymore photos. Noooo....this is not good considering that I have 3 other photo sessions in the next 6 days. I have gone through to delete as many photos as possible, but at some point I guess I will have to invest in a new computer. Not really what I need right now, but I can always use Nick's for the time-being. 

Nick and I are getting ready to watch Legend of Sleepy Hollow and are hanging out at home tonight. It was a gorgeous day today and hopefully tomorrow will be the same!

Mental Break

Is it really only Tuesday? It really feels like Friday should be here already. I have no idea how Nick is functioning like he is, after his 60-something hour week last week, and I think he is on track to do it again this week. I am not nearly as busy and I am still exhausted. My 2 classes are keeping me swamped and this week alone I have 2 quizzes and a test. The chemistry class I am taking requires a lot of time, and the professor is trying to fail as many people as possible. I am doing well in the class, but I really feel that I deserve an A with the amount of time I am putting into it, in addition to my mastery of the material. I know it is bad when I am doing well in a class and I am still losing sleep over the stress the class causes. That is unlike me. 

Anyway... enough negativity from me. Moving on.

I watched the sunrise this morning as it reflected off several buildings on our street and it was gorgeous. That was the first time I have seen the sunrise here, and for a few brief moments I was reminded how much I love this city and how fortunate I am. I really do love Boston. Of course this winter will be really tough, and I hate being this far from friends and family. At the same time, this is a photographer's heaven, especially right now. The skyline is incredible and the character of the city is unlike anything I have experienced. Nick and I took Gillie to get shots the other day and we ended up having to walk for about half an hour. The entire time, I was in complete awe of the trees we passed and their colors. It just does not get old. Ever.

I am really missing people this week. Our birthdays and the holidays are approaching, and I am wishing we were surrounded by friends and family to celebrate with. I just need to stay focused on school, because the truth is that I really don't have time to spend with people, even if they were closer. I am hoping next semester is easier and more enjoyable, for Nick and I both. 

I have not posted any pictures of Gillie in a while. She is getting big! 

Wayne Shorter Quartet

Last night Nick and I went to see his Uncle John perform with Wayne Shorter at the New England Conservatory. We had amazing seats, in the second row! During the first half of the performance, it was just the quartet, but the second half included an orchestra composed of students. It turned out to be a great show and Nick and I couldn't believe how incredibly the drummer was. The guy was jumping off his seat while drumming, and never missing a beat. It was shocking that he didn't break the drum as he was jamming like crazy! Nick went to breakfast with his Uncle this morning, and after that, John is off to Europe for a three-week tour with the quartet. They are a talented group of people and Nick and I have enjoyed being able to see John a few times since we moved here. It sounds like he will be in Boston a lot more in the near future, so hopefully we will continue to see more of him.! I was able to get a few photos, but most of them with the quartet are really blurry. 

Here are a few:

Presidential Motorcade and John Kerry

I decided to head to MIT to catch a glimpse of the presidential motorcade for Obama's clean energy speech today. We waited on Mass Ave for about 45 minutes and they didn't even end up bringing him in front of us. So, I took some photos of the crowd and then Nick and I and a few of his friends went to lunch. They all headed back to their labs and I was heading back to the T when suddenly I spotted John Kerry across the street. I casually got out my camera and took a few photos (and wished I had a telephoto lens) and then he looked at the five or so of us and waved. I just kept taking pictures, of course, and then headed back across the Charles River when then motorcade passed right by me! Luckily I had my camera ready to go and was able to get a few photos!

If you look closely, you can see his hand waving at us!

Obama was in there somewhere!

MIT Craziness

It is 8:30pm and Nick is still on campus and he is currently taking his first MIT test. He has been putting in an insane amount of time studying for this thermodynamics test, and I am sure he will dominate it. I still can't help but feel bad for him after his third 12-hour day in a row. We both knew MIT would be challenging, but I can't wait until his qualifiers are done next January so that hopefully things will be more laid back.  He is taking combustion and thermodynamics, and he enjoys the subject material, but the hours are long and he is completely exhausted most of the time. These are two of the most difficult classes Nick has to take, and of course he had to take them at the same time. Nick's advisor seems to be a great match for him and he is relieved that the person who will be guiding him through grad school is someone he trusts and communicates well with.

 President Obama will be at MIT tomorrow speaking about energy, but unfortunately Nick was not given an invitation...such a bummer! Nick's combustion professor will be meeting with the President for an hour or so. I am still astonished by how many brilliant people that school seems to have. At least Obama seems to be consulting the best and the brightest on energy issues, and hopefully good things will come as a result of the meetings. 

Saturday night we are going to watch Nick's Uncle John perform at a jazz club, and we are looking forward to seeing him again! 

Autumn in New England

Just when I think the fall colors could not possibly get more stunning in Boston, I am proven wrong. Today I was walking from the bus stop to the house where I was going to babysit and I saw this:

It is unbelievable how gorgeous those colors are! I wish I could drive around New England right now to see the rest of the foliage, but for now I stare endlessly at these bright trees when I walk by them. I really cannot get enough of them. I might cry when the leaves all fall off and the trees all look dead. It will signal the real beginning of winter and along with that, the beginning of my becoming a hermit crab for the following 4 months. 

Tomorrow Nick has his "quiz" and I have my chemistry test. I am looking forward to Friday when I can sleep in, take the dogs for a long walk (assuming it doesn't rain) and get some cleaning done around the apartment. 

These photos were taken in the front yard of the family I baby-sit for. I love how cute the tree decorations are! 

Just a Reminder

The last few days have been long and a little stressful, so I decided to fill this out to remind myself about what is important. I need to learn to stop stressing about the small things in life and begin to focus on the positive. Nick has been working 12-hour days and he has a rough week ahead of him still. In addition, his weekend is already planned out for him with projects and it looks like he will get very little relaxation time at all. I know he will make it through this semester, but I hate seeing him stressed and exhausted. His birthday is two weeks from tomorrow, and hopefully by then he will be able to enjoy it!

FOR TODAY (October 20)..

Outside my window...

darkness. (during the day I can see fall colors everywhere and I love it!)

I am thinking...

about chemistry tests, lab write-ups, rent and other unpleasant things

I am thankful for...

resilience and the ability to move forward

From the kitchen...

the smell of dinner already cooked and consumed. (wishing there were some cookies in here too!)

I am wearing...

jeans and a plain-T

I am learning...

that the best things in life are worth working hard for

I am creating...

chemistry flash cards. (NOT the creativity I want to be working on)

I am going...

to sleep very soon.

I am reading...

chemistry textbook. See a recurring theme? Not fun.

I am hoping...

a lot of things. Hoping to find more work. Hoping others find true happiness.

I am hearing...

The sound of happy dogs.

Around the house...

Nick is studying (He has now had 2-11 hour days in a row), the dogs are wrestling and Jenna is napping

One of my favorite things...

Good conversation

A few plans for the rest of the week:

chemistry test, baby-sitting, work, hopefully some photography and maybe even a little rest.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing...

This picture always makes me smile!

SNOWWW!!!!

I was obviously not been exaggerating in my previous posts, as at this very moment it is snowing!! Snow, in October!! We were on the T when it began to snow, and there were 2 guys near us from Florida who had never seen snow in their lives until that moment! It was so entertaining to watch and listen to their reactions. One guy immediately called his dad to tell him it was snowing and even mentioned, "It's white!" His friend laughed and then proceeded to ask him what color he expected the snow to be. It was great to witness that! It is not snowing enough to stick once it lands, and most of it melts as soon as it touches the ground. I am sure there will be plenty more snowy days to come in the next few months.

I am sitting at the table and watching huge snowflakes fall out of the sky. It is beautiful and as long as I am inside, I am loving it. We just made hot chocolate and are enjoying the scenery. Of course we are studying at the same time that we are "enjoying" but oh well. I mean, I am obviously not studying at this very second, but you get the idea.

I now have 2 photo sessions scheduled for the month of November and I could not be more thrilled! Nick has his first MIT test this week, so he is in crazy study-mode. I am hoping that after his first test is over, things will calm down a bit. If the weather is not miserable again next weekend, I am really hoping to make a trip to Salem, MA to celebrate the Halloween season with a little trip to the home of the Salem Witch Trials. Very cool Halloween-time idea, in my opinion!

Last week I took some pictures of the twins I babysit, so here are a few of those. Also, I attempted to capture the snow falling from inside our apartment, but it looks more like my camera lens is dirty than anything. Trust me. It was snow.

Cold week in October

Before I begin to write about anything else, I just need to point out that it has been in the 40s here all week and I am beginning to think winter has arrived prematurely and I am not happy about this. I walk outside and my ears are in pain, and I can't feel my nose. I am in desperate need of winter clothing! I just need to buy a hat/beanie and gloves for now and I can buy big jackets as it gets colder. The sun comes out and I mistakenly believe that maybe it will be warmer outside, but it really does not make any difference at all. I have heard people complaining about the 80-degree weather in California all week and I would like to spend a weekend soaking up some vitamin D before I turn completely pasty-white this winter.

Ok, enough about this weather. Kelly (the woman I baby-sat for in LA last year) has asked me to go to Connecticut to take their family photos for their annual Christmas card!!! They moved back to the east coast, and I have not been able to see her since Nick and I left California in July. I absolutely love Kelly and her son is such a cutie! I watched him for the first 10 months of his life, so I feel a personal connection to their family and I am thrilled to be able to photograph them for their Christmas card. I have never been to Connecticut, so that is another exciting venture! It is a 3 hour train ride, and I am actually looking forward to the travel as well as the visit. (Imagine a train ride across New England in the fall at the peak of the fall foliage...Wow)

UCLA plays CAL today in football, and NIck and Jenna are headed to watch the game with the UCLA and CAL Alumni groups here in Boston. I have to take Gillie to get shots, so I can't watch the game. For the last 4 years, Nick and I have watched this game in-person and this year I can't even watch it on tv. =( Hopefully the bruins triumph over the bears!

Here is a picture of Zach, the little boy I watched in LA, when he was about 8 months old. He is walking and talking now!

Family Photo Session

This morning I met with an incredibly nice family and it turns out that both of the parents graduated from MIT. They were enthusiastic, and I love when that happens! I love meeting friendly people who are just as excited about the photo session as I am! I hope I get to see this family again and continue to get pictures of their kids over the next few years!

After the photo session, I spend an hour and 45 minutes trying to get to where I baby-sit every Wednesday. I am coming to loathe mass transit already, and each week I miss my car more and more. Ohhh civic, come back!

Tomorrow is sure to be a long day, with a couple hours of work before a microbiology and chemistry quiz. I am already looking forward to this weekend!! Ohh and I got my business cards in the mail today and I can't wait to send them out!!!

Voila!

I have been trying for quite some time now to get larger photos posted on my blog. I think they upload much too small and I want people to really be able to see the photos. I FINALLY got it! It was actually very simple, I had just been making it more complicated than it really was. I edited yesterday's post with larger photos, and it is so much nicer to look at now!

It is raining this morning, and I just finished my second cup of coffee. Gillie is asleep on my lap and I am looking through photography portfolios for inspiration. I have a family photo session tomorrow and I can't wait! I plan to get some chemistry studying done today in preparation for my test next week and hopefully the rain will stop so Jenna and I can do some wandering around the city.

Psychrophobia

The weather has been changing quite a bit over the last few weeks, and I can feel winter approaching. It is "peak" time for the gorgeous foliage, and I am wishing we had a car to drive to New Hampshire and see the trees in shades of red, yellow and orange. At the same time, the temperature seems to drop a little more each week and I am becoming more fearful of winter. Each person I talk to explains winters here a little differently. I baby-sat yesterday and the family told me that it begins to get dark at 3:30pm for a few months in a row, and the lack of sunshine contributes to an already brutal cold. I looked it up, and in fact, the sun sets at 4:15 beginning in about a month. The temperature this week is going to be in the low 50's and I am even more nervous about once it drops below 50!

This afternoon, Nick, Jenna and I went to a pumpkin patch that I found online.  It was not within walking distance of a train, so we ended up waiting an hour for the bus. Once the bus dropped us off, we walked about 10 minutes along the road and it was a beautiful walk. The trees are gorgeous right now!  The pumpkin patch wasn't quite what I had hoped for, but it was still cute. The property that surrounded it was much more beautiful than the "patch" itself. I was envisioning pumpkins on the ground and on top of hay bales, and instead they were stacked on tables. They did have a cute little green-house area with fresh produce and herbs that smelled amazing, and I of course took plenty of photos for documentation. 

I have NO class tomorrow!! I honestly don't have a clue why we don't have class, but I am not going to question such a wonderful thing. This also means no chemistry lab for the week!! Long weekends are too rare, and I propose that we have one at least once a month!  Nick didn't have class today, but he has still spent most of the weekend doing homework and researching. I think the only chance he will truly have to relax will be in-between semesters and over the summer. He has been working incredibly hard since school started, so for his sake, I am already looking forward to Christmas break. 

Word of the week: Psychrophobia: fear of cold

These are the 2 pumpkins we brought home with us